Dembele's long-awaited return has Al Shehri and Al Ettifaq smiling again | OneFootball

Highly respected manager Saad Al Shehri will be the first to admit that Al Ettifaq’s start to the season has been far from perfect.

Entering the campaign focused on building on last term’s brilliant seventh-placed finish, the Dammam club have managed only three wins in nine 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League outings.

However, there have been mitigating circumstances. Chiefly, that star striker Moussa Dembele was sidelined because of injury from February until his return at the end of last month, meaning Al Shehri has been putting out a side with one hand tied behind his back.

No one person is bigger than the team, of course. But such is the quality and importance of Dembele, his prolonged absence left a gaping hole in Al Ettifaq’s attack. Understandably, it represented a void they struggled to fill.

The formidable Frenchman missed the final third of last season after rupturing a tendon in his foot against Al Okhdood - in only Al Shehri’s second match in charge after the departure of Steven Gerrard.

Having not returned to action until Matchweek 5 - Dembele was a second-half substitute in the heavy defeat to Al Hilal - it means that, for almost the entirety of his time in charge, Al Shehri has had to make do without one of the club’s most important and impactful players.

Thus, getting Dembele back to fitness must feel like a new signing, his manager now able to structure his team around the 29-year-old frontman.

In turn, it gives greater flexibility in the forward positions and allows for the utilisation of teammates such as the in-form Khalid Al Ghannam, South African starlet Mohau Nkota and captain, and former Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, Georginio Wijnaldum.

It was a long road to recovery for Dembele, who still finished second-leading scorer for Al Ettifaq last season despite his extended spell on the sidelines. Once out, the former Olympique Lyon star had surgery in London before undertaking a months-long rehab program.

Last term’s seven goals underline Dembele's importance to this team, as does the fact he has netted three goals in four games upon his return. Last time out, in Al Ettifaq's much-needed 3-2 win against Al Fayha, Dembele bagged a brace in a Man of the Match performance.

It helped Al Ettifaq not only snap a four-game winless streak, but kept the East Coast club in touch with those around them in the table (they sit ninth).

Speaking after the victory, Dembele explained how his team’s poor run hadn't added any extra pressure to perform, although that it was nice to bring it to a halt before the RSL paused for the upcoming 2025 FIFA Arab Cup.

“There’s always pressure on players, whether you win or you lose,” he said. “There’s always pressure on you because you have to deliver good performances day-in, day-out.

“It’s been a long time since we won a game, but we focus on ourselves and make sure that we stay all together as one. We knew we would turn [the corner], and we are happy it has turned before the break, so we have a few days off and come back with a fresh body and strong mind.”

Dembele’s body is fresher than most having spent eight months out, while his mind can now - hopefully should he remain available - focus on firing Al Ettifaq to a strong season.

With Man of the Match award in hand last Friday, he dedicated his display to everyone behind the scenes at the club, whom he explained had worked tirelessly to get him back to full fitness.

“I would like to congratulate all the medical staff first, because I have been out for a long time and it’s been a long journey from last season,” Dembele said.

“Obviously, as a team, we wanted to have a better direction today and win the game, and I am happy to win the Man of the Match. But it’s the work of everyone at the club and everyone behind the scenes; I thank everyone for that and hopefully we continue in a good way.”

It’s no coincidence that the opening hour against Al Fayha is the best Al Ettifaq have looked all campaign, when they raced to a 3-0 lead at their EGO Stadium and appeared in complete control.

Dembele was playing at the point of the attack in a 4-2-3-1, leaving Wijnaldum to operate in a more-suited attacking midfield role, with Alvaro Medran and Mukhtar Ali anchoring the midfield, and Nkota and Majed Dawran on the flanks.

Now that Al Shehri is not having to shuffle his pieces around and fit square pegs into round holes, he can concentrate during the month-long break on building the collective strength of the team.

With Dembele finally back, Al Ettifaq can look to attack the remainder of the season - remember, we are only little more than a quarter of the way through - with a renewed sense of optimism. Like Dembele, Al Ettifaq seem to be smiling again.